| 


LT he Train Starts 


By 
A. Ruby Buxton 


Copyright, 1920, by 
Ma B 


it MARCH BROTHERS, Publishers 
908. 210, 212 Wright Avenue | LEBANON. OHIO 


P72 oo) —- a) = SS OEE 








Return this book on or before the 
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University of Illinois Library 


L161—H41 


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@) THE TRAIN STARTS. 





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By A. RUBY BUXTON 


“He said he wanted to set by the winder so’s he 
could see out. An’, Mattie, and you can set right here 
behind him. Now! I guess you're all fixed!” 

The high-pitched voice was charged with deter- 
mined cheerfulness. : 

“Well, that’s nice, Aunt Tilly; now he can see every- - 
thing when the train starts.” It was the motherly-looking 
woman standing near the door of the coach who spoke. 
“An’, Tilly, I put in enough clothes to last him two 
weeks; but if he needs anything jest let me know.” She 


was looking at the averted little figure by the window. 


“An? if he gits ho-o-me-sick, you jest write to me and his 
papa Il come after him.” Ready sympathy that was 
kindly and commiserating gave a sort of pensive glow to 
the homely features and the mournful eyes, and vibrated 
in the deep tones. “But you’re goin’ to have a nice visit, 
ain’t you, Johnny? You ain’t goin’ to git ho-o-me-sick, 
are you?” 

From my seat across the aisle I could not fail to 
observe that the word won no response from the little 
figure turned toward the window in rapt enjoyment of — 


_ the prospect. Johnny was too fascinated, apparently, with 


the view of the station to bestow even a glance in the 


‘direction of the speaker. She regarded him with uneasy 
“interest, and the lean, dark man in blue shirt and over- 


alls, who stood a little behind her, reflected the look. I 
caught sidewise glimpses, too, of Aunt Tilly’s carefully 





es abate Mountenanée ar st Mattie’s $, , wide-eyed a 
3 ne est, both turned toward the youthful travel 
glued to the window. 


-. 


re ee — “You're goin’ to have a good time, Johnny, Tas : 
“with, Aunt Tilly and Mattie. You won’t miss me an 


your papa much. It’s goin’ to be so nice!» 4 Riis 
se The tones of the woman as she addressed Johan 
round black hat did not contain quite the assurance — 


the words. Fons 
“Tt’s so nice you can look out the winder all fa wae 
“Atle see the houses and trees. I don’t b’leeve,” doubt 
$ “your papa’s goin’ to have to come after you—and ae 
goin’ on seven years old!” 
_ The silent man in the background sticrede concern- — 
edly. me 
“You got this pretty green plush seat all to your- 
self; an’ when you git tired lookin’, you can lay down 
awhile!” 


It did not appear that Johnny would seem to tire of | bap 


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looking. The woman paused, evidently uncertain as to ia ey 


what should be said next. 


- Mattie and them to play with. And, Johnny, I jest know 


!»? 


“Tt’s goin’ to be so nice visitin’ at Aunt Tilly’s, with ae 
a 


you ain’t goin’ to ait H-6-ocoompoaattenie 


The inexpressibly mournful cadence of the word as” te 3 
she uttered it caused no movement in the round, black ~ a 


felt hat above the fringe of tawny hair. Johanne Coates i 
came up high in the back and almost met the round hat ; 


and the little shoulders and back that I saw presented a @ 


appearance of stuffing, as if there might be three or 
four layers of just such dark-worsted jackets” cee 
them. Johnny in his manifold encasement of clothing ~ 
suggested elaborate preparation on the part of an anxious — 


mother for a long- “planned journey 2 “3 “a 
“Well, the train’ s goin’ to start, so we'll have to s ay 


_ Bood- poe 


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_ The speaker stood now just inside the door, poised 


_as if for flight whenever the cry of “Board!” should be 


heard, and the seamy-faced man was at her side. 


“Don’t forget to let me know if he needs any more 
‘shirts or underclothes or anything. I think I put in 
enough to last him, though. And remember, Tilly, the 


minute he gits h-o-o-o-me-si-i-i-ck, jest send his papa 
word. But you ain’t goin’ to, are you, Johnny? I know 
you ain’t goin’ to do that! But if you do—” | 


“Roard!’’ came in stentorian tones from outside the 


car. The silent dark man made a hasty movement back- 
ward, 


Good-bye, Mattie! Good-bye, Johnny! Now, if you 


~— git—” A look of blank dismay. “Why, if he ain’t—” 


Astonishment interrupted utterance. The small round 
black hat was resting on the back of the seat just ahead, 
and the little shoulders under their layers of clothing 
were shaking. The woman looked from one startled face 


in the group to another. 


“Why—I do b’lieve he’s h-o-0-o-me-si-i-i-ck!” 

“Board!” roared the conductor outside. 

There was a sudden plunge of a small dark-jacketed 
figure, a rushing movement down the aisle past the 
woman in sunbonnet and the lean man, and Johnny had 
bolted. . | 

“Board!” came with a stern and thunderous finality, 
and the man and woman, following in the direction that 
Johnny had taken, made a precipitous, though somewhat 


bewildered, flight. 


I hurriedly crossed the aisle to Johnny’s window and 
was in time to catch sight of a stationary trio outside—a 
seamy-faced man in blue shirt and overalls, and a mourn- 


- ful-eyed woman in a sunbonnet, gazing with dazed ex- 


pression at our coach that was now beginning to move, 
and between them a little boy rubbing his knuckles in his 


U. OF ILL. LIB 


“Good-bye, Tilly! Write me how Johnny gits on. 





Fas \ 
NS 


eyes. The boy appeared a trifle scared—somewhat in 
need of readjustment; but he wore the look of one who 
has come back from the fiery furnace unscathed. 

‘“Mattie’—it was the high-pitched voice of Aunt 
Tilly above the noise of the now swiftly moving train— 
“T do declare if we ain’t got his clothes in our valise!” 





1 Smead 





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